trans·gen·ic
tran(t)s-ˈje-nik 
: being or used to produce an organism or cell of one species into which one or more genes of another species have been incorporated
a transgenic mouse
transgenic crops
also
: produced by or consisting of transgenic plants or animals
1
transgenics plural in form but singular in construction
: a branch of biotechnology concerned with the production of transgenic plants, animals, and foods
2
: a transgenic plant or animal
Examples of transgenic in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
al, 5 Feb. 2023
Settling on the relatively broad and ominous term genetically modified, rather than recombinant or transgenic, left the door wide open to interpretation.
—Sarah Garland, The New Republic, 5 Oct. 2021
The Auburn scientists are hoping to get their transgenic catfish approved to be sold and eaten.
—al, 5 Feb. 2023
The scientists say this is the first example of a transgenic plant making an antibody that can fight an environmental toxin.
—Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2010
Alzheimer’s is no exception: For more than 25 years, research on Alzheimer’s has focused on using transgenic mice to better understand the biological changes associated with the disease.
—Agnès Lacreuse, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2022
Also, against Tonegawa’s wishes, Tsien had taken transgenic mice from MIT to Princeton to launch his own lab.
—Daniel Golden, ProPublica, 20 Jan. 2022
In experiments on transgenic mice, teams at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University found that tau jumps from cell to cell in a predictable way along neural highways known as axons.
—Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2013
The brains of the transgenic monkeys — those with the human gene — developed at a slower pace, akin to that of a human, than those in transgene-free monkeys.
—Teal Burrell, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2022
Byscience News Staff, science.org, 1 June 2023
Researchers modified the genes of bee eggs to create seven transgenic queens who, when instrumentally inseminated, produced worker-caste descendants whose brains fluoresce in proportion to the intensity of their neural activity.
—Michael W. Clune, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Half a decade later, the U.S. Patent Office extended patents to agricultural crops generated through transgenic breeding techniques, which inserts a gene from one species into the genome of another.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2023
This foray into transgenics and the accompanying harsh pesticides made beekeepers nervous.
—Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, 12 Apr. 2019
Adjective
The transgenic fish are also sterile and can’t reproduce unless they are injected with reproductive hormones, the researchers said in their scientific paper published online at bioRxiv.
—al, 5 Feb. 2023
Settling on the relatively broad and ominous term genetically modified, rather than recombinant or transgenic, left the door wide open to interpretation.
—Sarah Garland, The New Republic, 5 Oct. 2021
The Auburn scientists are hoping to get their transgenic catfish approved to be sold and eaten.
—al, 5 Feb. 2023
The scientists say this is the first example of a transgenic plant making an antibody that can fight an environmental toxin.
—Smriti Rao, Discover Magazine, 10 Mar. 2010
Alzheimer’s is no exception: For more than 25 years, research on Alzheimer’s has focused on using transgenic mice to better understand the biological changes associated with the disease.
—Agnès Lacreuse, The Conversation, 31 Aug. 2022
Also, against Tonegawa’s wishes, Tsien had taken transgenic mice from MIT to Princeton to launch his own lab.
—Daniel Golden, ProPublica, 20 Jan. 2022
In experiments on transgenic mice, teams at Harvard Medical School and Columbia University found that tau jumps from cell to cell in a predictable way along neural highways known as axons.
—Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 23 Jan. 2013
The brains of the transgenic monkeys — those with the human gene — developed at a slower pace, akin to that of a human, than those in transgene-free monkeys.
—Teal Burrell, Discover Magazine, 6 Dec. 2022
Noun
Until now, the agency required evaluation only of transgenic crops, containing genes from other organisms.
—Byscience News Staff, science.org, 1 June 2023
Researchers modified the genes of bee eggs to create seven transgenic queens who, when instrumentally inseminated, produced worker-caste descendants whose brains fluoresce in proportion to the intensity of their neural activity.
—Michael W. Clune, Harper’s Magazine , 10 Apr. 2023
Half a decade later, the U.S. Patent Office extended patents to agricultural crops generated through transgenic breeding techniques, which inserts a gene from one species into the genome of another.
—The Conversation, Fortune, 22 Feb. 2023
This foray into transgenics and the accompanying harsh pesticides made beekeepers nervous.
—Nina Strochlic, National Geographic, 12 Apr. 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'transgenic.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near transgenic
Cite this Entry
“Transgenic.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/transgenic. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
transgenic
1 of 2 adjective
trans·gen·ic
ˌtran(t)s-ˈjen-ik, ˌtranz-
: being or used to produce an organism or cell of one species into which one or more genes of other species have been incorporated
transgenic mice
transgenic corn plants
transgenic techniques
also
: produced by or composed of transgenic plants or animals
transgenic foods
transgenic
2 of 2 noun1
: a transgenic plant or animal
2
transgenics plural in form but singular in construction
: a branch of biotechnology concerned with the production of transgenic plants, animals, and foods
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share